Summary: Hercule is often depicted as a popular fraud who won the Cell Games. What if Hercule died an unsung hero instead? A Gohan and Videl story.

AN: The Legacy of Gohan: The Completed Story is one of my main inspirations for this fic. If you pay attention you'll see me draw a lot from DC and other sources… If you can guess the one that start with a P I'll give you a cookie. This story is going to deal with the development of heroes/superheroes similarly to Smallville and Ultimate Spider-Man rather than being a Gohan torture fic. (There still may be some). In the future I hope to add more comedy, darkness, and romance.

Disclaimer: Don't own DBZ. Some cussing, possibly graphic scenes later on. Rated M to be safe.

Gohan, tears in his eyes, looked down at the Champ sprawled before him, "Why?"

"Couldn't let your dad get all the glory eh?" the man coughed up blood, "Make his sacrifice worth it."

Still stunned, Gohan could only repeat himself, "Why?"

"Someone needs to kick Cell's ass..."

Out of the dust, a lone figure was seen walking towards the camera. The boy lowered his cargo onto the ground, pausing briefly with a bow of his head before taking off into the sky. Reporters would later identify the corpse of the world champion, Hercule Satan.

.

Seven Years Later…

Gohan woke up to a sharp stomach pain followed by a dull ache. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by a black bush of hair jumping up and down. Gohan shut his eyes with a groan. As the pain persisted, he slowly cracked open his eyes to get a better picture. Gohan quickly realized that the sight of his bouncing brother also came with full volume, real-life, surround sound. It's too early for this.

"Gohan! Gohan! Get up! Get up!" Goten yelled as jumped on Gohan.

With another groan, Gohan took a half-hearted swipe at Goten.

Dodging nimbly, Goten stuck out his tongue, "Missed me!"

Grabbing his pillow and to cover both his ears, Gohan replied, "Get out of here squirt."

Goten stood still, thoughtfully scratching his head. Gohan noticed his brother's ki still in the room and sighed.

"What is it Goten?"

"Mom sent me up here," Goten replied.

"Why?"

"..."

Gohan sighed again, "Goten?"

The young boy shrugged, "Don't remember."

"Really?" Gohan demanded.

"Nope!" Goten replied with a happy nod.

Gohan let out an exasperated sigh before bending up and ruffling Goten's hair. With a smile, Gohan berated Goten good naturedly.

"You should remember these things you know."

"I know," Goten replied with his eyes downcast, clasping his hands behind his back, "I'm sorry."

Moved by Goten's sincerity, Gohan quickly reassured his brother, "Don't worry about it little bud. If it's important, mom will yell."

"GOHAN! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!" echoed throughout the house a split second later.

Wincing in pain, despite being a full flight of stairs and a corridor away, Gohan yelled in return.

"I still have lots of time mom!"

"Not if you want breakfast you won't!" Chi-Chi retorted slightly more calm than before.

Goten disappeared in an orange blur at the mention of breakfast, leaving a half-naked Gohan in bed. Laughing quietly, Gohan quickly rose out of bed, putting on the clothes his mother had laid out for him the night before. One piece at a time, Gohan put on a pair of red slacks, a loose white shirt, and a stylish black vest, if he said so himself. He thought the outfit was both stylish and trendy, without showing off his body's abnormally toned physique.

A perfect first impression… I hope. Dispelling his doubts with a shake of his head, Gohan headed downstairs.

Goten was already shovelling food down his gullet in typical Saiyan fashion by the time Gohan reached the bottom landing. The youngest Son greeted Gohan with a happy nod, his cheeks comically bulging, before resuming his inhalation of food.

His mom in her traditional garb, greeted him with a smile as Gohan neared the kitchen table, "Good morning Gohan. You better eat up fast, or you'll be late."

"I still have lots of time mom," Gohan replied, "It takes less than half an hour to fly to Golden Star City."

He noticed a slight scowl on Chi-Chi's face as she countered, "I can't have you late on your first day. No son of mine is going to become a delinquent."

"Don't worry mom, I'll make it to school with plenty of time to spare," Gohan reassured his mom.

"And no funny business when you're at school," Chi-Chi added.

Scratching his head, he asked, "Funny business?"

"No flying, ki-blasts, punching, kicking, super strength, super speed, eating like a pig…" with a brief pause, Chi-Chi raised her finger to her chin, "Pretty much anything Goku would do."

"I know I need to fit in," Gohan replied. As an afterthought asked, "But what if there's an emergency?"

The scowl returned, "I trust you Gohan to be careful."

"Careful of what?" Goten asked curiously.

"Don't worry about it sweety, it's big boy stuff," Chi-Chi directed towards Goten.

"I'm a big boy now," Goten pouted, then raised both his hands, "I'm seven!"

Chi-Chi sighed, "Yes you're seven. But that's eight fingers,"

"Oops," Goten let out, not looking at all sorry.

Holding in laughter, Gohan explained, "It's school stuff-"

"Euch," Goten interrupted with a protruding tongue.

Gohan continued with a smile, "So you won't have to worry about that until you're older. Ok bud?"

"Wait a minute," Chi-Chi butt in. Her scowl was back and it was accompanied by twitching fingers. Fingers which probably ached for a reunion with a specific pan handle. Gohan paled slightly. His mom continued to speak.

"Goten is not too young to be worried school. In fact, we really need to start his studies again."

"But Gohan says I don't- mmph!" Gohan quickly covered Goten's mouth with his hand, keeping Chi-Chi's twitching fingers in sight the whole time.

"Ah haha. Don't worry Goten. Studying can be fun!"

The fingers calmed slightly. Gohan released the breath he was holding and lowered his hand. It was a mistake.

"No it can't. Studying is soooooo boring!" Each finger began rigidly flexing independently of the others.

Yikes! Gohan decided discretion was the better part of valour and quickly grabbed his school bag.

"Bye mom! Bye Goten!" Gohan called over his shoulder, rushing for the exit.

Inside the Son residence, all hell broke loose.

.

"Hurry it up in there!" a masked gunman yelled back at his allies.

"What's the matter Veridian? Cops ain't gonna get here for another few minutes," jeered another gunman as he exited the central Golden Bank branch. As he left, he couldn't resist firing some rounds over the heads of the crouched bank employees.

"Relax, we got what we came for. Let's go," soothed the female member and leader of their party.

Veridian nervously eyed the street, "Looks like the coast is clear guys."

The second man laughed, "What the whole 10 meters to our getaway car?"

The woman just smirked.

"Shut up Pewter, let's just go," Veridian shot back, his fear obvious. He dashed quickly towards the car, making Pewter burst out laughing yet again. The woman observed Veridian with a disapproving frown.

"Seriously, calm down," spoke the leader of the trio.

"Lavender, you don't understand. What if the Black Demon comes?" Veridian asked as they approached. Even as he asked the question, his eyes were constantly moving in fear.

Disgusted, Pewter sneered, "The Black Demon isn't real."

"It totally is," Veridian began to open his door, "Two of my friends barely made it to jail because of it."

Pewter looked like he wanted to argue, but was cut off by Lavender, "That's why we decided to do this during the day. This way, the worst we have to deal with is the cops. Doesn't matter if the Black Demon is real or not."

"What did we get anyways? Doesn't look like much," Pewter asked as he began opening his door, "Seems like an awful waste to rob a bank for a little box."

"It's a safety deposit box idiot," the leader explained, "Our client is paying good money for- Shit."

Police sirens filled the air as police cars began barricading both directions of the road.

Lavender cursed. Their getaway car was now worthless. Taking in the scene, she came to a quick decision.

"Bring out the heavy artillery boys"

Pewter grinned. Veridian whimpered.

.

A few minutes later, Gohan found himself flying over a shoot-out between the police and what appeared to be bank robbers. He took in the double blockade established by the police. Cars and their doors were being used for cover by both sides. Unfortunately for the police, it seemed like the robbers had semi-automatic weapons to their hand guns and was that? A bazooka to their loudspeaker?! The police need some serious help. Mom did say I could use my powers in an emergency... I just need to be careful about it.

Powering up into ascended Super Saiyan as a precaution, Gohan sped into action. Moving at full speed, everything around Gohan slowed to a crawl. He quickly disarmed the three criminals and decided their guns could be put to better use. Twisting their guns to form a giant metal rope, Gohan fastened the trio to a nearby lamppost. Satisfied with his work, Gohan almost took back to the skies, but something caught his eye.

Bullets were flying at a snail's pace every which way. Gohan wasn't sure of their trajectories and decided to take care of all of them. He plucked several dozen bullets out of the air before depositing them in a pile beneath the secured criminals. After a quick look over of the scene, Gohan decided that the situation had been dealt with properly and took back to the sky. Gohan relaxed his energy and concentration, allowing time to flow normally around him.

Down below, criminals and police alike were stunned to find all three criminals tied by a metal bow to a lamppost with a pile of bullets placed neatly at their feet. The police slowly approached after a moment or two, their disbelief clear. The woman's screams of rage seemed to settle the matter and the police quickly and efficiently began to re-establish control over the scene.

With a smile, Gohan continued his flight towards school. And no one even knows what happened.

.

Videl was not like most people. Most people ran away from the sound of gunfire, screaming. She on the other hand, decided that running full speed towards the shoot-out was the best idea. As she approached, Videl quickly took notice of good vantage points near the crime scene where she could launch her own assault on the criminals. Gathering her energy, Videl prepared to leap into a nearby tree when an overwhelming wave of power washed over her.

Videl lowered her stance and gritted her teeth. What the hell is this? I've never felt anything like this before! This power is overwhelming!

With her body freaking out, Videl closed her eyes and took a deep breath to regain control of her body. And like that the overwhelming power disappeared. Puzzled, Videl looked up to see all three would-be bank robbers dangling from a lamppost, with the woman screaming her rage for all to hear. Videl blinked several times in disbelief. She was sure the police were just as confused.

There was a sudden prickling at the back of her head. Videl's narrowed her eyes.

There! Looking towards the sky, Videl saw a tiny figure briefly before it blurred and disappeared. Who or what the hell was that?

Approaching the crime scene, Videl addressed one of the officers ushering civilians away from the area.

"What happened here?"

The officer gave her the cliché, "Move along, nothing to see here."

Videl placed both her hands on her hips, "Not even a minute ago there was a shoot-out going on. You can't tell me it just magically ended!"

"I'm sorry but this is a police matter and-"

"I just want to know what happened, I'm not trying to get into the scene or anything," Videl interrupted. The officer noticed her stubborn demeanor and sighed.

"Look miss?..." the officer let the question hang in the air.

"Videl."

The officer gave a nod, "Right. Miss Videl, I honestly have no idea what happened myself. All I know is, one minute I'm shooting at crooks and praying for my life. The next, the crooks are tied to a lamppost by the mangled remains of their own firearms."

Videl's eyes widened, "They're tied to that post by guns? How?"

"Look. I've already said too much already," the officer took another look at Videl and groaned, "But you're not going to leave until you know more right?"

Videl smirked, not giving one inch of ground.

"Exactly right. Officer?..." it was Videl's turn to let the question hang.

"Officer Cent."

"So what more do you know?" asked Videl.

"Nothing concrete," officer Cent replied.

"But?"

The police officer gave Videl a half-hearted grin, "A lot of the guys swear they saw a golden blur move around the scene. Quarter there, swears he saw golden pixie dust. Nickel believes he was temporarily blinded by a golden flash of light. Everyone else saw absolutely nothing."

"Hmmm…" Videl began to contemplate the possibilities. What does this all mean? A sudden cough interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes?" Videl snapped, anger flaring.

Cent took a step back, intimidated, "Uh sorry, just… could you leave the area now? We need to complete our investigation."

"I need to get to school now anyways," Videl replied, before taking off in the opposite direction.

Officer Cent grumbled, "No please or thank you? What happened to this generation's manners? That's the last time I give out random information to a civilian."

It would not be the last time.

.

Gohan decided to touch down a few blocks away from Golden Star High School. He reasoned that a walking student would blend in much better than a flying one. Still, an inconspicuous student was not an invisible student.

"Yoohoo! Hey Cutie!" called out a blonde from behind Gohan.

Completely oblivious, Gohan kept on walking.

"Handsome! Turn around!" the female tried again.

Again he continued on oblivious.

The blonde harrumphed and crossed her arms. A long-haired male laughed beside her.

"Come on Erasa, he's probably just a freshman or something."

Erasa raised an eyebrow, "He's one tall freshman then."

"Ok fine, he's still probably younger than you," the other blonde replied.

"What makes you think that Sharpie?" Erasa questioned.

Sharpener winced, "I asked you not to call me that already."

Erasa stuck out her tongue as Sharpener continued, "Still, if he was our age, we'd probably have met him by now."

"But what if he's new to the school?" Erasa reasoned.

Sharpener shrugged his muscular shoulders, "It's rare for a junior or a senior to transfer schools."

"But possible," Erasa countered.

"Yeah," Sharpener sighed.

"Even if he is younger than me, I'd totally give him a shot," gushed Erasa.

Sharpener's palm met his forehead in an obviously practiced manner. Erasa giggled before speaking up again.

"Come on! We don't want to be late for school on our first day! Let's see if we can find Videl!"

"I don't want to be in school at all," Sharpener grumbled. He followed nonetheless hoping to run into Videl.

Gohan followed the clearly marked signs once inside the school, looking for the administrative office.

.

In the classroom, Videl sat head in her arms waiting for class to start. She half listened to Sharpener and Erasa chat beside her about their summer holidays, too tired from her night activities to really pay attention. The commotion was suddenly halted when Mr. Alpha walked into room. Blinking in surprise at the silence, Mr. Alpha looked out at the room before coughing slightly into a hand.

"Good morning class."

"Good morning," replied a good portion of the glass.

Looking surprised at the classes' unusually good behaviour, it seemed like Mr. Alpha decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. The teacher continued on and introduced the student standing just outside the door.

"We're lucky to have a new student joining us this year. Come on in boy come in," Mr. Alpha motioned for the student to enter the room.

A tall boy with insanely spiky hair shyly walked into the classroom. Looking around at all the students staring intently at him, Gohan blushed slightly.

Waving a hand, Gohan called out, "Hi, my name is Gohan Son."

Videl heard a gasp from beside her. Turning to face Erasa, Videl lifted an eyebrow questioningly. Unfortunately for her, Erasa was busy elbowing Sharpener and whispering fiercely. Videl strained her ears to listen in intently.

"See! I told you," Erasa whispered fiercely.

Sharpener sighed, "You were right. I was wrong."

"Yuppers," Erasa stuck out her tongue.

"So you gonna make a move on this boy?" the jock drawled.

"I left the seat beside me open just in case!"

Videl grinned when she heard Sharpener slap his face in exasperation. It had often surprised Videl and Sharpener how meticulously Erasa could plan ahead when it came to boys, but how badly she still did in school. So often in fact, it was no longer a surprise for either friend that Erasa had left the chair beside her open on the off chance of meeting a new boy.

Tuning back into what the teacher was saying, Videl managed to pick up the end of Gohan Son's introduction speech.

"… is our school's greatest hope for winning the Golden Scholar Scholarship award. With his perfect entrance exam we hope that you will all give Gohan a big Orange Star welcome."

Mr. Alpha looked around at the class expectantly, while Gohan looked up apprehensively.

Then the catcalls began, making Videl wince.

"Nerd!"

"Golden Boy huh?"

"Geek!"

"Go home loser!"

"What kind of freak gets perfect on the any exam?"

"Shut up!" the teacher was trembling with obvious rage, "You're all a disgrace to the public school system!"

Oh? Videl's interest piqued when Gohan laid a calming hand on Mr. Alpha's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it sir, it's fine."

To Videl's surprise Mr. Alpha seemed to calm slightly.

"Yoohoo! There's a seat right up here!" Erasa called down from the top row. The volume made both Videl and Sharpener cringe slightly. Thankfully Erasa's popularity silenced the catcalls immediately.

"Why thank you miss Rubber," Mr. Alpha indicated to the top row, "Go up there Mr. Son."

Gohan gave the teacher a slight bow before he started making his way up the stairs.

"He's gonna get himself beat up on his first day," Sharpener commented shaking his head.

Laying her head back down on the desk, Videl couldn't help but agree with the sentiment.

.

Gohan brought out his blue notebook in anticipation for the next period.

Erasa giggled, "Relax Gohan, Mr. Beta always comes in late. Even more so, cause it's the first day and all."

"Oh really?" Gohan asked surprised.

"Yeah, so why don't we chat?" Erasa asked, suggestively.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself?" Gohan asked, oblivious to the slight drop in Erasa's tone.

Sharpener burst out laughing, "You've got your work cut out for you Erasa."

Erasa simply pouted in response.

Sharpener offered Gohan his hand, "The name's Sharpener, Sharpener Pencil. And the sleepy head over here is Videl Satan."

Gohan looked over at the sleeping girl Sharpener had motioned to.

"Why does the name sound familiar?" Gohan asked.

Erasa gave Sharpener a nervous look, who gave her a reserved nod.

"Because her father fought in the Cell games."

Gohan's eyes widened, "Really?"

"Yeah, he didn't do that well," Erasa responded, her eyes downcast.

Sharpener gave Gohan a hard look, "Don't talk about it with Videl unless she starts it. And don't you dare make fun of her dad."

Gohan was under the impression that Sharpener really cared for Videl, but had to ask.

"Who was her dad?"

"Hercule Satan," replied Sharpener cautiously.

"But he's a hero!" Gohan exclaimed, standing up "Why would I make fun of him?"

Sharpener's face broke into a large grin as he slapped Gohan on the back, "I had a feeling about you. I knew you were alright. Despite being a nerd and all."

Gohan noticed that a good portion of the student's in the room had their attention focused solely on him. Blushing slightly, he sat down quickly.

"Not everyone sees it that way," Erasa explained, "Some people think he's just a loser who died early in the fight."

"Do a lot of people think that way?" Gohan demanded slightly angry.

Touched, Erasa answered softly, "Unfortunately, people's opinions are pretty split."

"Why?" Gohan couldn't understand. This man sacrificed his life to help protect the world! How could anyone see him as anything but a hero? He showed me how even the smallest man can make a difference.

"A lot of people's hopes were riding on the former champ. Watching him lose that quickly was hard on a lot of people…" the male blonde explained.

"But he gave his life fighting for those he loved!" Gohan whispered vehemently.

Sharpener grinned, "I agree with you, Erasa agrees with you, heck a lot of people do. Just not everyone."

"I still don't understand," Gohan shook his head.

"Don't worry about it sweetie, that's just the way the world is," Erasa consoled, taking an opportunity to wrap an arm around Gohan.

"Welcome to life out of the country," Sharpener said.

Gohan sighed, "I still think Hercule was a hero. It doesn't matter what others think."

"Thank you," Gohan turned, startled to see Videl awake.

"Videl when did you wake up?" he asked, noticing the distinct blue of her irises.

She smirked, "About the time you yelled."

"Uh… well about that…" Gohan rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Uh I haven't introduced myself!"

Gohan shot his hand out quickly for a handshake only to have Videl quickly knock his hand away. Surprised, Gohan noticed she was slightly apologetic.

"Sorry, reflex," Videl explained before offering her hand first, "Videl Satan."

"Gohan Son," he shook Videl's hand warmly.

Uncomfortable with the handshake happening over his lap, Sharpener coughed. Both Gohan and Videl jumped back sharply eliciting a squeak from Erasa and a small laugh from Sharpener.

"I was just thinking we need to take Gohan under our wing Videl," Sharpener spoke.

Gohan looked confused while Videl nodded in affirmation.

"Why?" Gohan just had to ask.

"Well, like Mr.A said, you're going to be our golden ticket and all that," Sharpener explained nonchalantly.

Erasa obviously happy, gave Sharpener a large hug. The boy could only squawk slightly in protest before his air supply was cut off. It took some prodding from Gohan before Sharpener was allowed to breathe again.

"Thanks Brains," Sharpener shot Gohan a small smile.

Gohan decided the nickname was a term of endearment rather than an insult. The whole situation was giving the saiyan a warm fuzzy feeling and Gohan decided he quite enjoyed it. It was only second period and Gohan had made three new friends. Best first day of class ever!

.

Videl had understood what Sharpener meant the moment he had suggested having Gohan join their group. He was worried about the scholar's safety. High school was a rough place for anyone who wasn't 'normal' and being the school's hope for the Golden Scholar Award definitely did not constitute 'normal'. Erasa's eagerness was likely due to another reason. Although reluctantly and grudgingly, Videl agreed that Erasa may have finally found a decent choice. This may be one of Erasa's boys I finally approve of.

The group of four split at the lunch bell, agreeing to meet up once they all had their food. Gohan's locker was on the other side of the school from the others, but Videl promised to pick him up on their way outside.

Gohan rifled through his locker putting some books away and retrieving others. Deciding to trust his new friends, Gohan made sure he put full-size meal capsule in his pocket rather than his snack-size capsule. Closing his locker, Gohan noticed three teens decked out all in leather, metal chains, and ripped clothing making their way towards him.

Their leader was the largest with broad shoulders and a surprisingly well-groomed appearance. The other two were smaller, but their facial piercings and bleach blond hair added to their punk-ish appearance. The two smaller youths were both obviously the submissives of the group, but altogether they did not seem to be at all welcoming. In fact, the group looked downright hostile.

"So, I heard you're some sort of super nerd," the tallest, a brunette, said.

"Uh… that's what some people say," Gohan mumbled, looking down at the floor.

As the other two cronies flanked Gohan from either side, Gohan found his personal space being heavily encroached upon. The largest of the three brought his smirking face right up to Gohan's.

"Well you see, I think we can come to a little agreement."

"What agreement?" Gohan asked, not feeling the fear many in his position would.

"You do my homework for me and I don't beat your face in," the youth replied.

Gohan smiled slightly, "Uh… But then how would you learn?"

"Listen don't smart mouth me," the teenager sneered as his muscle sniggered, "Otherwise your face is going to have meet my-"

"Shredder!" finally Gohan had a name to put with the face.

Both Gohan and Shredder turned their heads. Videl stormed down the hall with Sharpener in tow. Gohan took in her anger apprehensively while Shredder seemed to relish in it.

"Ah hell's bitch," he spat.

"Douche," Videl shot back.

Gohan hissed quietly, "Language Videl! You're going to get in trouble."

Shredder and his friends found this remark hilarious and broke out into laughter. Sharpener decided it would be a good time to step forward.

"He's with us Shredder."

"Captain," the blonde was given a distinctly cold look.

"You better back off Shredder," Videl's eyes narrowed, "Now."

"Just like always eh Sharpie?" Shredder mocked, "Following that bitch like a lost poppy?"

Videl put a hand over Sharpener's tightening fist, "He could get you kicked off the team."

"They can't. He's too good," the shortest punk laughed, "Without Shredder there is no boxing team."

Shredder decided to turn back to Gohan, "So can't fight your own battles? Need to be protected by this little girl?"

Gohan backed against his locker, unwilling to start a physical confrontation. So he simply mumbled what he hoped would be a mollifying reply.

"I don't like fighting. I don't mind Videl protecting me…"

The three delinquents laughed loudly, "What a wimp! Needs a girl to protect him!"

"Shut up Shredder," Videl snapped.

"A girl whose dad got beat in less than 3 seconds," Shredder kept laughing, "I haven't seen anything more pathetic in my life!"

Videl lunged at Shredder, only to be held back by Sharpener. Damnit! If he wasn't my friend, I'd kick him right now.

Thrashing violently, Videl shrieked, "I'm going to kill you! Damnit Sharpener let go!"

Sharpener strained his muscles, hanging on for dear life. The more Shredder's minions sniggered the more Videl struggled and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold her. Eventually, the minions decided to add their own salt to the wounds.

"What kind of pussy gets knocked out in one punch?"

"Are you sure you weren't the man of the house instead of him?"

Proud of his gang, Shredder continued, "Heh, some world champ your dad was. Hercule Satan? First class lose-"

Smack!

Shredder stumbled from the impact of the blow.

Everyone froze for a moment. Confused, Videl relaxed, allowing Sharpener to sigh in relief. Standing in front of Shredder with an open palm was none other than Gohan.

"What the fuck nerd? What's your problem?" demanded Shredder, rubbing his sore face.

"Hercule Satan was more man than you could ever be," snapped an unusually stoic Gohan.

For everyone involved, it seemed like time had frozen still. Both sides were shocked by the young scholar's actions. Even students walking by seemed to notice the time dilation. The tableau was disrupted with the arrival of Mr. Beta.

"Is there a problem here?" demanded Mr. B.

"No sir," replied Shredder, wiping his cheek, "We're just fooling around."

Turning to Gohan the teacher asked, "Is that all?"

Gohan simply nodded. Mr. B sighed. There was obviously animosity between the students, but if both parties denied involvement, without witnessing the problem himself there was nothing he could do.

"Well then, it's lunch, why don't you all get to it?"

Gohan's stoic face melted, before giving he gave Mr. B a small grin, "Sure thing, teach."

Shredder couldn't resist one last, "Teacher's pet," before signalling his group to head off.

Gohan's smile stayed on his face as he watched Mr. Beta walk off. Turning his attention to his new friends, Gohan found both of them looking at him stunned.

Videl was first to break out her trance, "What was that Gohan?"

"What was what?" Gohan asked innocently, scratching the back of his neck.

Sharpener snorted, "That bitch slap across Shredder's face! It was beautiful!"

Gohan found his grin returning at his friends' obvious mirth.

"Next time though, you might want to use a fist. Real fighters don't slap people," Videl frowned at Gohan in good humour.

Gohan blushed slightly, "Like I said, I'm not a fighter. I don't believe in fighting."

"Why didn't you stand up for yourself earlier?" Sharpener asked.

"I can't take him…" Gohan explained, lying completely.

"But when he insulted Hercule, you snapped," Sharpener finished for him.

Gohan gave an embarrassed nod. He was oblivious to the scrutiny Videl was giving him. It's rare for a stranger to react that strongly about dad…

Sharpener on the other hand couldn't help but feel for the guy. Although he had made the decision before to welcome Gohan, Sharpener now found himself in the unlikely position of possibly making a friend out of the nerd. Slinging a buff arm around Gohan's shoulders, Sharpener pointed down the hall.

"Come on Brains, let's go find Erasa and we'll show you our awesome eating tree."

Gohan nodded his head with a grin, before walking down the hall. Gohan realized his thoughts right now may have been a little sappy but he couldn't help it. There's friendship in the air.

.

Elsewhere, Xel Rohtul, CEO and president of Golden Industries Corporation, was going over his weekly financial breakdown. His bald head reflected the dim lights in a manner which only enhanced his handsome features. With dark eyes, Rohtul scanned the report in detail. Hearing a knock on his office door, Xel buzzed in his visitor.

Still looking over the report, the CEO spoke after a moment, "Speak already."

"Uh sir… there's been a problem…" the employee spoke nervously.

Xel's eyes shot up and narrowed quickly. The employee gulped and remembered with growing panic that they were on the 30th floor of the building. Sweating bullets, the employee shivered when his boss crossed his fingers and rested his chin on his hands. A moment later, the employee's blood froze.

"Explain."

AN: I would appreciate all comments/criticism as long as the criticism is constructive. Flames won't help me grow as a writer.

Edit: Dec 2012: A few flow/minor mistake fixes.